No short shorts: Plus size woman’s unforgiving burden
The unforgiving standards of beauty have left an indelible mark on the experiences of plus-size women, and while society preaches the importance of embracing diversity and individuality, a pervasive prejudice against these women persists when it comes to their fashion choices.
The fashion industry, deeply entrenched in perpetuating unrealistic body ideals, inadvertently excludes those who do not fit into its narrow definition of the ideal body type. Well, not so much as before though.
Nonetheless, as a result, plus-size women face unique disadvantages and relentless criticism in regards to societal dress codes. The notion of “my dress my choice” has gained momentum in recent years, promoting the idea that fashion should be a personal expression of oneself.
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However, this seemingly empowering concept fails to encompass the struggles faced by plus-size women in their pursuit of sartorial freedom. The limited range of clothing options available to them, dictated by mainstream media and retailers, hinders their ability to showcase their unique styles and stifles their self-expression.
What exacerbates the situation for plus-size women is the double standard they endure when it comes to fashion criticism. While their slimmer counterparts are often praised for bold and unconventional fashion choices, plus-size women face a relentless barrage of unsolicited comments, body-shaming, and negative judgments.
This discrepancy perpetuates the harmful idea that their bodies should be hidden, tamed, or disguised, reinforcing a homogeneous standard of beauty that marginalizes and silences their voices.
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Plus-size women face harsh criticism and scrutiny regarding their fashion choices that their slimmer counterparts rarely experience. Society often perceives fashion as a marker of status, self-expression, and even morality.
Sadly, the fashion choices of plus-size women are frequently subjected to unsolicited comments and judgments. While thinner individuals are often praised for daring outfits or eccentric styles, plus-size women often face condemnation and body-shaming, perpetuating the idea that their bodies should be hidden and subdued.
In a post on Twitter, a woman known on the platform as Plums & Cherries shared her own personal experience of being plus size and wearing short clothes in public, inspired by Kenyan content creator Murugi Munyi.
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“I saw Murugi Munyi talk about how great it felt for her, a plus size babe to be able to walk around the streets of UK, wearing short shorts, and it was a very kawaida thing. Had me thinking about how caged we are as a society. I’m a size 10 but it’s still uncomfortable rude stares. I walk around in short shorts anyway, but people will be pressed. You can totally see smoke come out of the ears of random strangers you pass by in the streets. Like what’s the fuss? It’s just legs, whose sole purpose is locomotion,” read the user’s thread.
Society still perpetuates the idea that plus-size women should adhere to certain rules, such as avoiding bold patterns, bright colors, and form-fitting clothes. This restrictive mindset hampers self-expression and enforces a homogeneous standard of beauty, alienating plus-size women from expressing their personal style.
The thread by user ‘Plums & Cherries’ inspired other women to speak up on the same matter, and below were their responses;
💯💯I love it!
— Plums & Cherries 🍒 (@cherries_nplums) July 17, 2023
I was slim ,now I'm bigger and there is a big https://t.co/6SOr2krmQC a skinny girl wearing shorts or short dresses was a bit normal except for the few frowns ,as a bigger girl it's too much,the stares,the judgement,the comments
— June (@MurithiJune) July 16, 2023
That kind of freedom you can only give yourself. I used to feel uncomfortable wearing shorts in public cause of the stares but nowadays I’m so unapologetic about that . In fact if you are so unbothered the ones who stare get uncomfortable.
— TheFashionable_Wakili (@Beatricekimunya) July 16, 2023
Iam a size 8/10 ,on this platform I have been called fat😅 which is actually not the insult they think it is ,here in the UK ,I wear such short things because it's summer and I'm using public transport. No one even looks at you twice 🥹. I hope as a country we get here
— _1shiru (@ShiruNjuguna4) July 17, 2023